Mobile Oil Rig Accident Lawyer
You might be facing a long road to recovery after an oil rig accident in Mobile, AL. Victims often suffer brain injuries, spinal cord damage, severe burns, and more. An experienced Mobile oil rig accident lawyer at Lattof & Lattof, P.C. can protect your right to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Since our firm was founded more than 30 years ago, we’ve dedicated our practice to recovering millions for injured clients across Alabama. If you’re hurt, we’re here to help your family through this challenging time.
Don’t wait to take action. Call our law offices in Mobile, Alabama, today to schedule a free case review.
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How Lattof & Lattof, P.C. Can Help After an Oil Rig Accident in Alabama
Thousands of people go to work in the Gulf of Mexico and waters around Alabama every day. Working on an oil rig is dangerous, demanding work. When you’re hurt, you’re often far from home–so it can be difficult to get quality medical care quickly.
Oil rig accidents are usually classified as maritime accidents. That means you might have several options for recovering compensation if you were injured. An experienced Mobile personal injury lawyer can help you identify the laws that will provide the most compensation in your case.
At Lattof & Lattof, P.C., our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience.
We’ll help in your case by:
- Identifying all available sources of compensation
- Handling all paperwork and insurance communications
- Assessing the fair value of your injury claim
- Fighting to win the maximum available compensation, whether at the negotiating table or in the courtroom
Oil rig workers are often hurt when big oil companies don’t take proper safety precautions. If you were injured, you shouldn’t have to suffer financially. Call our Mobile personal injury attorneys today to learn more about getting fair compensation.
How Common Are Oil Rig Accidents in Alabama?
Oil rig accidents are much more common than you might think. According to a U.S. government study, there were 69 fatalities and 1,349 injuries in offshore accidents on the Gulf of Mexico between 2001 and 2010.
Almost 200 offshore workers were injured in 2018 alone. Whether you were hurt in an explosion, fire, oil spill, or even a slip and fall accident, our lawyers are here to help you recover the fair compensation you deserve.
What is My Alabama Oil Rig Accident Case Worth?
Like any personal injury case, the overall value of your oil rig accident case will depend on a few key factors.
Those factors usually include:
- The severity of your injury
- How long your disability is expected to last
- The value of your lost wages
- The state and federal maritime injury laws that apply in your case
The value of your case is usually closely tied to the severity of your injury. More serious oil rig injuries lead to bigger settlements–but the details matter in these cases. Your lawyer will have to carefully evaluate the facts and circumstances to put a dollar value on your injury claim.
Are you interested in learning more about what your case is worth? Call our law firm to schedule a free case review today. Once we have more information, we can paint a better picture so that you know what to expect.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Oil Rig Accident Victims?
To understand what damages are available in your oil rig accident case, you have to understand the different maritime laws that can apply to your case. Unlike construction workers who are hurt on land, oil rig workers don’t qualify for Alabama workers’ compensation benefits.
On the other hand, various federal laws can come into play to provide similar benefits to injured maritime workers.
Often, available compensation will depend on:
- Where the accident occurred, and
- Your status at the time of the accident.
Most offshore oil rig accident victims will be entitled to compensation under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) or the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
Generally speaking, the LHWCA was enacted to provide benefits to workers on oil rigs and mobile offshore drilling units who don’t qualify as seamen under the Jones Act.
To qualify for compensation under the Jones Act, it’s required that you primarily work aboard a vessel and play an important role in operating that vessel. Many oil rig workers don’t qualify as seamen.
The LHWCA is a type of workers’ compensation. That means it’s a no-fault system–so you can recover compensation without proving negligence.
The law provides substantial benefits to injured oil rig workers, including compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Ongoing medical treatment
- Rehab and physical therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- And more
In wrongful death cases, the LHWCA also pays survivor benefits to surviving family members.
However, availability of LHWCA benefits depends on where your injury happened. Not all accident cases are covered. If you were working on the United States’ navigable waters or on a dock, wharf, pier or similar structure, you can pursue damages under the LHWCA. If your accident happened somewhere else, another law might apply.
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act extends LHWCA protections for oil workers who are injured working on offshore platforms on the Outer Continental Shelf. Like the LHWCA, you don’t have to prove negligence to recover financial compensation.
The law provides damages for:
- Medical expenses
- Disability
- Rehabilitation
- And more
It’s also possible that you may be entitled to punitive damages if you were hurt because the oil company violated industry safety regulations.
The Jones Act
Injured seamen covered by the Jones Act are entitled to compensation for both economic and non-economic losses, including damages for:
- Past and future bills
- Past and future lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Maintenance and cure
- And more
In other words, they’re eligible for the same types of damages that any car accident victim might receive. To recover under the Jones Act, however, you also have to establish negligence.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for an Oil Rig Accident in Alabama?
Alabama contributory negligence laws usually bar a victim from recovering damages if they’re even partly to blame for the accident. However, this harsh rule only applies if you’re filing a traditional personal injury lawsuit for damages.
In oil rig accident cases, there are a number of different state and federal laws that might apply. Oil rig workers entitled to damages under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act or LHWCA aren’t required to prove negligence to recover compensation. That means shared fault isn’t an issue in those cases–and you can usually recover compensation even if you were partly to blame.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Oil Rig Accident Injuries
Explosions, falls from heights, and other accidents can lead to significant injuries.
Injured oil rig workers often suffer:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burn injuries
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Loss of limbs
- Eye injuries
- Hearing damage
- Paralysis
Some catastrophic oil rig injuries can be fatal. At Lattof & Lattof, P.C., we’ll fight to recover fair compensation for all of your injuries–big or small. All you have to do is call our law offices today to get started.
What Causes Most Oil Rig Accidents in Alabama?
Accidents on an oil rig can happen for a lot of different reasons. Most often, they happen because of unsafe conditions on the rig itself.
At Lattof & Lattof, P.C., our Mobile oil rig accident attorneys handle all types of oil rig injury cases, including those involving:
- Unseaworthiness
- Failure to follow industry safety regulations
- Inadequate training or supervision (negligent hiring)
- Lack of proper protective safety gear
- Lack of fall protection
- Defective machinery or equipment
The risk of serious injury on an oil rig is much greater than in your average workplace. When you’re miles offshore, you deserve the highest level of protection available. If the oil company or someone else cuts corners to maximize their own profits, you have the right to hold them accountable. Call our law offices today to find out how we can help you get justice.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After an Oil Rig Accident in Alabama?
Most personal injury victims have two years to file a lawsuit for damages under the Alabama statute of limitations. You might have less time if you were injured while working offshore.
The Jones Act gives you three years to file your injury claim. On the other hand, the LHWCA only gives victims one year to take action.
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act statute of limitations is tied to the state adjacent to the oil rig where you were hurt. If that state was Alabama, you have two years to file a claim.
Contact a Mobile Oil Rig Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Were you or a loved one injured in an oil rig accident off the Gulf Coast? Call a Mobile oil rig accident lawyer at Lattof & Lattof, P.C. for help recovering fair compensation for your injuries. Your first consultation is always free, so call today to get the legal advice you deserve.
